Rangers 2 Hibernian 2

August 18th 2001
Scottish Premier League
Attendance: 44,940

Scorers:
Rangers: Hughes, Flo.
Hibernian: McManus, Orman.

This is a copy of a report of the game as it appeared in the Scotland on Sunday on Sunday 19th August 2001.

Orman's good for Hibs

LORENZO AMORUSO whacked Grant Brebner full on the visage with one of his trademark thumping free-kicks at Ibrox last night, knocking him out cold. By the end of an encounter as raccous as a Saturday night on the town, the sore faces were all being worn by those adorned in lue inside Ibrox.

The home fans came full of cheer, geed-up by the knowledge that after Celtic's draw with Livingston earlier in the day, any sort of win would have sent them to the top of the league for the first time in a year. That they could not capitialise on the champions slip must induce a sinking feeling within those at the club that they are powerless to prevent themselves becoming a carbon copy of Tommy Burns Celtic sides of the mid-1990s.

Like the Parkhead men from that era, Rangers are perhaps too entertaining in the sense the fun of watching them is that they will be up, down and round-about because they lack the discipline to remain on an even-keel for a full 90 minutes.

That they did not so yesterday owed much to the valour of Alex McLeish's men, who came to Glasgow to have a go and refused to buckle after going 2-1 behind, having taken the lead in the early stages. On the basis of Rangers habit of switching off, the mental torture being suffered by the Ibrox legions is not likely to be alleviated by the trip to Istanbul for the second leg of their Champions League third round qualifier

on Wednesday. Mind you, they have become nothing if not unpredictably predictable.

From the off, both teams threw themselves around the Ibrox turf and into choice challenges with the gusto of prize-fighters seeking a first-round knock-out. Each looked capable of inflicting early damage on the other because defensively all too often they played with their guard down. Dane Ulrik Laursen enjoyed a superb season at wing-back for Hibs last year but does not appear nearly as comfortable pressed into action as one of a three-man backline. His finishing was never a strong point and the player featured in the early action in ways in which he would take no pride.

In the eighth minutes a Tom McManus square pass across the Rangers penalty area left Laursen with the goal at his mercy only for the Dane to suffer the procrastination of his Shakespearian countryman and stab an effort straight at Stefan Klos who he had allowed to charge at him.

Laursen was then dozy at the other end seconds later. Lorenzo Amoruso mauraded upfield slaloming past green jerseys as if they were cones on a training field before the ball broke towards goal. Hibs Danish defender lost Michael Mols on his blind-side only for the striker to side-foot wide of the far upright.

Rangers were no more secure when Hibs took to throwing high balls in to their box ball, alarming gaps opening up for McManus and Craig Brewster, who combined to give the visitors the lead in the 18th minute. Franck Sauzee launched a free-kick from deep that seemed to be met by the blue jerseys in the box with shut-eyes, which allowed Brewster to slip the ball in to the path of McManus who lashed a low drive beyond Klos from 14 yards for his second goal in two games.

The frenetic tempo induced a looseness in the play that merely added to the spectacle, Rangers snapping at a Hibs side who never gave the impression they could defend their slender advantage without mishap. This befell them when an equaliser for Dick Advocaat arrived in slightly fortutious fashion. Stephen Hughes strike from 25 yards plenty of oomph and was certainly travelling goalwards, but by the time it reached the net it had also had its trajectory changed as the result of smacking off Mathias Jack's back.

Rangers gradually worked themselves into the ascendancy, as well as working themselves up in to a right lather with referee John Underhill showing leniency to Claudio Reyna in only booking the American for shoving Laursen in the neck. The Rangers midfielder's petulance came when he took exception to the Dane reminstrating with Fernardo Ricksen for what the Hibs man perceived as a dive by the home defender.

Diving in to the fray with all limbs pumping continued to make the encounter an explosive one after the interval, Hibs recovering from going 2-1 behind when in the 58th minute Alen Orman produced a reeker of a 30-yard drive that ripped in to the top corner like it was a souped-up Exocet.

The Ibrox men had taken the lead 10 minutes early with a counter that might not have been as spectacular but demonstrated that Tore Andre Flo can produce those instinctive moments that make good goalscorers. Being hauled to the ground by Paul Fenwick as he raced in to the box, a transgression that had Underhill ready to signal for a penalty, as the Norwegian toppled he cupped the ball with the outside of his foot to nudge it wide of Colgan.

As Flo chuttered around last night, his forward partner Mols was full of craft, similar to the 4-1 win over Dunfermline the week before. The difference is that in each of these two games the Norwegian has netted while his team-mate hasn't. Rangers continue to struggle to blend these facets productively.

The Teams:

Hibernian:
Colgan, Fenwick, Sauzee; Laursen, Murray, Jack, Orman, O'Neil, Brebner, Brewster, McManus.

Rangers: Klos, Amoruso, Ricksen, Latapy, Hughes, Mols, Konterman, Flo, Wilson, Numan, Reyna.

Tale from the Armchair - Fatty's View

Unfortunately I couldn't make the match and had to settle for watching, perhaps Hibs finest performance at Ibrox in years, on Sky.

Unlike Hearts at Parkhead last week, Hibs came out at Rangers from the first minute and continued this through to the last when Paco Luna might have scored with a header from Zitelli's fine corner. The team looked settled and assured on the ball, as if they knew they were capable of leaving with something.

Hibs scored first after Brewster played in McManus who blasted the ball through the legs of Klos from eighteen yards. A feeling of deja vu after last week - it looks as though Brewster and McManus might just be a combination that will work!

Hibs held the lead and even looked like extending it until Rangers equalised with the aid of a wicked deflection of Matty Jack. It was rough on Hibs who had kept Latapy quiet and limited Rangers to only a few sights of goal.

Unfortunately the start of the second half saw Hibs go to sleep and concede a poor goal from their point of view. Flo bustled his way into the box and, as Fenwick pulled him down for the penalty, he managed to touch the ball past Colgan. The ref let the goal stand which was an excellent decision, as giving the penalty would have resulted in Fenwick being sent off. In fact it is fair to say that referee Underhill had a very good game indeed.

With Hibs 2-1 down at Ibrox some would think that that was that. Not a bit of it - Hibs kept coming forward and scored the goal of the season so far. The ball broke to Brebner on the edge of the box, he took two defenders with him and then back heeled to Orman. Willie then blasted an unstoppable left foot drive into the postage stamp corner from twenty five yards - sheer class.

Hibs continued to look good after that and created a few more chances including Luna's last minute effort. They can take great pride from this result and, if they play like this every week, there is no reason why we can't be challenging again this year.

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